Josh Mandel plots his next move while licking wounds from U.S. Senate loss

Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel lost Tuesday in his first bid for U.S. Senate.Plain Dealer file

What’s next for Josh Mandel?

After winning election to statewide office two years ago at age 33, Mandel was seen as a rising star in the Republican Party.

On Tuesday, Ohio voters halted Mandel’s ascension and rejected his bid for the U.S. Senate. Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown won by a 50-45 margin.

Mandel was not overly reflective on Wednesday in an interview about his loss and the future. Falling into a habit displayed on the campaign trail that earned him a reputation for sounding rehearsed, Mandel repeated cliches from his concession speech about a "David versus Goliath fight" and leaving "it all on the field."

Mandel said he plans to run for re-election as Ohio treasurer in 2014 and will remain focused on running that office.

"This is not the first time in my life when I’ve been knocked on my butt and it won’t be the last time either," he said.

However, it was the first electoral loss for Mandel, who has won races for Lyndhurst City Council, state representative and, in 2010, Ohio treasurer.

The Senate race was both nasty and pricey. Mandel spent more than $12.6 million on his campaign, and outside groups put another $31 million into television and radio ads casting Brown as a far-left career politician out of touch with Ohio’s values. Brown spent $13.9 million and outside groups spent about $12 million against Mandel, according to Mandel’s campaign.

In the end, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney outperformed Mandel in Ohio. Romney earned more than 222,000 more votes than Mandel in the state, including more than 23,000 in Mandel’s home county, Cuyahoga.

For Democrats, Brown’s win vindicated their view of Mandel as an overly ambitious politician who will do or say anything to win election to a higher office.

"He’s six months away from appearing on Fox News as a regular analyst," Redfern said. "He will join the likes of Ken Blackwell and others who will slip away into the past. We’ll recognize him from time to time as that fella who followed Sarah Palin."

Mandel’s fellow Republicans, obviously, were much more hopeful.

Doug Preisse, the Franklin County Republican Party chairman and a top advisor to Gov. John Kasich, recalled George Voinovich and Mike DeWine winning election to the U.S. Senate after failing the first time.

"The old adage in Ohio used to be, you had to run and lose for governor or U.S. Senator in order to come back and win," Preisse said, adding that Kasich and former Gov. Ted Strickland had bucked that trend.

"Josh Mandel, as anyone should, will emerge as a more seasoned and capable candidate for the future," he said.

Ohio Sen. Frank LaRose, who has known Mandel for years and, like him, has a military background, agreed Mandel would emerge stronger.

"He’s got some battle scars now, that’s fair to say," said LaRose, of Copley. "I don’t think he’s damaged as a result. I don’t think the people who have supported Josh in his previous endeavors would stop supporting him."

Privately, however, some Republicans acknowledged Mandel has some work to do before he reintroduces himself to Ohio voters. They point to his trouble heeding others’ advice and a campaign that appeared to lack substance.

Mandel said he surrounds himself with "a cadre of men and women with gray hair in the private sector and public sector who I go to for advice."

"The people close to me prefer to work quietly and humbly behind the scenes. I think they would prefer not to have their name in the newspaper."

Despite the loss, Mandel’s supporters say his future remains bright.

"Anyone who thinks they’ve heard the last of Josh Mandel is kidding themselves," said Matt Borges, executive director of the Ohio Republican Party.

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